India's worst losing streaks in away Tests

India's worst losing streaks in away Tests

India suffered their seventh consecutive defeat in an away Test when they lost to Australia at Perth on Sunday. The game lasted only 200 overs and just over seven sessions.

The streak of seven consecutive defeats started with the series against England in July, where India lost the first Test at Lord's by 196 runs. This was followed by a humiliating defeat by 319 runs at Nottingham.

India lost next two Tests by innings margin at Birmingham and the Oval to complete a miserable 4-0 series loss.

Image: Stuart Broad celebrates with teammates after winning the Lord's Test last July

India's second worst losing streak

India lost the first Test of the ongoing series against Australia by 122 runs at Melbourne. The New Year did not bring any joy to the Indian camp as they were thrashed by an innings and 68 runs at Sydney.

India followed it up with meek surrender at Perth, where they lost by an innings and 37 runs.

The defeat in seven consecutive Tests is India's second worst losing streak in Test cricket.

Between June 1959 and January 1968 India suffered defeat in 17 consecutive Tests. Yes 17!

This still is the worst performance by any team in Test cricket (Bangladesh came close but ended with a sequence of 16 consecutive defeats).

Image: MS Dhoni of India leaves the field after being dismissed during day three of the Third Test in Perth on Sunday

17 match-losing streak spanned over 8 years

The 17-match losing streak spanned over a period of eight years. It started with a 5-0 whitewash against England, followed by another 5-0 drubbing against West Indies in 1961-62.

India did not play an away Test for the next five years, but when they finally played, they were blanked 3-0 by England (in 1967). Australia then beat India 4-0 in a four match series. The sequence was broken when India beat New Zealand at Dunedin in 1967-68.

Mansoor Ali Khan Pataudi (9 Test losses) was one of the captains who led India during this disastrous phase.

Rain and bad weather saves India's plunge

Lala Amarnath captained India in the series Down Under. India did not play another away series for more than four years.

India visited England in the summer of 1952 under Vijay Hazare and lost the first three Tests to make it six in a row. The sequence was finally broken when the fourth and final Test at the Oval was drawn because of rain and bad weather.

India's next overseas series is scheduled for November 2013, when India will visit South Africa. So we'll know only then whether this streak gets any longer.